Automobile top



Dec.. 4- 1923. ,476,391

` L, J. CARL AUTOMOBILE TOP Filed 0G13. 9. 1922 AW.. my@

Patented Dec. 4, i923.

rPATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS J. CARL, F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE TOP.

. Application filed October 9, 1922. Serial No. 593,226.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis J. CARL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automobile Tops, of which the following is a specification.

`My invention has for its object the enclosing of the upper part of an automobile body including slidable windows on the sides thereof and is particularly directed to the securing of simple and eflicient opA eration of the said windows without sticking or rattling and also the means and mechanism by which the said windows are y locked in any position to which they may be adjusted by the operator. @ther objects are the securing of more complete vision through the sides, whether the windows are open or closed.

Another object is cheapness and simplicity of construction.

Other objects appear from the drawings and specification which follow.

These objects I accomplish by introducing above the slidable sash or glass plate, described below, a grooved member, movable in a vertical plane and a plurality of wedges adapted to act against said movable member and force it downward and thereby lock the sash; or when the wedges are relieved to permit the sash'to slide freely in said grooved member. The sash themselves may consist preferably of plates of glass without wooden frame although the conventional wood frame sash may be employed if preferred. On the body portion of the automobile and corresponding with the lower edge of the sash I introduce otherco-operating tongues and grooves, or where the glass plate alone is used in lieu of the conventional sash, the edge'of'the glass plate is slidable in the grooves at both top and bottom and at least one of the groove members is of elastic, fibrous or rubber material. The tongue is preferably of the glass plate, or if the sash is framed then of ibroid or hard rubber whereby the rusting of the parts together, as well as rattling,is entirely obviated, `there being a sutlicient elasticity between the two members between the tongue and groove at both top and bottom to permit of slight compression and a secure gripping of the tongue and the groove when the wedges are compressed.

a By referring to the accompanying draw mg my invention will be made clear.

F l is a side view of an automobile havlng my top mounted thereon with a portion of the side removed to better illustrate the operating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wedglng mechanism and top vertically movable groove member.

F ig. 8 is a detail section of the rear end of the groove strip and associated wedge.

Fig. at is similar to Fig. 3 of the opposite end of the said strip and mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line V-V of Fig. 3 the section being extended into the body of the automobile.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section on the line VI-VI of Fig. et and the section being extended through the lower groove member and a portion of the body of the automobile.

Fig. 7 shows in section an alternate and preferred form of channel strip for lining the grooves.

Throughout the figures similar numerals refer to identical parts.

The numeral l indicates the body of a conventional automobile on which is `constructed my top 2 having an outer depending wall 3 and an inner removable depending wall et. It is t0 be understood that these walls are located on each side of the automobile right and left. The walls 3 and 4 are bound together against the edge member 5, and wall l preferably by the screws 6, 6, so that it may be readily removed to gain access to the mechanism described below.

Between the walls 3 and 4 and below member 5 is a channel shaped space within which is mounted the vertically movable strip 7, kept in position and from end-wise movement by the screws 8, 9, fastened in the edge member 5 and havingheads to hold the strip 7 but permitting its free vertical movement onthe shanks of the said screws and being suitably countersunk for covering the heads of the said screws.

On the groove strip 7 are mounted the wedge shaped blocks 10, 11, and adapted to cooperate therewith are the wedges 12, 13,

slid'ableV rightandleft in the direction of the length of the strip 7 when the handle 14 is moved into the dotted position of Fig.

2, at which time the wedges force lthe blocks 1 10, 11, away from the edge strip 5 and therefore force downward the vertical-movable groove strip 7 gripping .tight-ly the sash engage from the blocks L10, 11, and the strip 7 is. relieved of pressure against the sash which may then be slid freely back- '.wards or forwardsl intoany desired position under the .friction only due-to :the-

weight of the sash and the strip 7. The sash I prefer to rforni of a single plate of glass 16 having ground. and finished edges and'. holes or suitable linger .members cemented thereon as at 18, whereby the said vglass plate maybe shifted back andl forth in. the grooves 19, 20, or 21, 22. These grooves. are preferably provided with. a rubber or rubber composition or felt lining as shown; at 23,211, 25, 26, respectively, 23, 25, being lixed in the strip 7, and 24, 2.6, in the body edge 15.

Or if, preferred, the conventional wood lframe sash as shown at 27, 27, Fig. ,niayv be employed in which case. I prefer to line the groovesin the strips 7, 15, with aluminum, brass or other suitable non-rustable metal. as shown at 28, 29 and 30, 31. The sash tongues shown. at 32 I prefer to make of brake lining material or other closely .woven and :treated .libre which is fixed in the sash frame 27 along its lower edge, and in the upper portion of the said sash frame 27 I provide a similar tongue preferably made of rubber 33, v,although other inaterial ma be .employed if preferred. rIhc usual plate glass is also fitted to this sash as shown at 34C. The frame 27 is made to clear ythe `strips 7, 15, the tongues 32 and 33 seating in the bottoni of the grooves of the members 28, 29, respectively, so that the edge of thesashdoes not rub against or otherwise damage the vehiclefinish.

Thichever form of sash is employed I provide in the tongue and grooveimembers at the top, and bottom of each sash one relatively hard rigid material either as. the

,tongueor lining of the groove and a second relatively elastic material as thelining of thegroove or tongue, respectively,thus wherev glass platesare employed as 16 without the wooden sash, vthe glass is the relatively rigid or hard material and the felt or rubber lining as 23, 24:, 25, or 26 `is the relatively elastic material as shown in Fig, 5; whereas when wooden frame sash are employed as shown in Fig. 6 the fibre or brake lining material 32 and rubber 33 forniiiig the tongues at the bottom and top respectively are relatively elastic and the metal lining 28, 29, is relatively rigid. In

,this typeof vsash'the strip 7 is adapted to move vertically compressing the elastic mem- -ber -suiiiciently to hold the sash rigidly in place by friction and to prevent its rattling through the action of the wedges 12, 13, acting upon the blocks 10, 11. The handle is pivoted at Al0 to the strip 5 and carries the arm Ll1 pivoted at l2 controlling the wedge 12, and the arm a3 pivoted atv 44.- controlling the wedge 13. .Thehai'idle la passes through a slotted opening l5 inthe removable side wall L.ln-and a suitable trim plate 46makes a finished opening through which the handle projects into the body ofthe vehicle immediately lunder the top 2 and in `a convenientlocation to be operated from the inside. It will now be seen that by removing the screws 6 the removable wall l may be readily taken out when 'the lever 14 and its associated vwedges .y and operating mechanism and thestrip 7 and window sash removed, repaired or adjusted as may be desired.

. The metalstrips that 'are shown lining the grooves 28, 29, 30, 31, may be pressed or rolled from .sheet metal and I prefer aluminum for this in which case the edgesare preferably turned over as shown iii Fig. 7, also it is to be understood thatthe parts are yto be suitably lined as with any suitable upholstering material not shown but by which the excess clearance spaces between the strip 7 and -Walls 3 and l is reduced to a suitable worlring fit. Such variations will readily occur to one skilled in the art and I wish to beunderstood as claiming all such.

I claim.: .1. In an automobile a. plurality of windows, a stripA having channel ways movj ably suspended in the topy and other channelvways in the body portion ofthe automobile, a. plurality of wedge couples by which said strip may. befoiced downward and connections including a handle for operating said. wedge couples to depress the strip and clamp vthe windows between the channel ways in. any of their adjusted positions, .said windows comprising glazed sashhavingflexible tongues at the top and bottom adapted to engagethe channel ways. 2. .In .an automobilea pluralityl of win.-

idows, a ,strip having channel ways movably suspended. in fthe `top f and other -channel ways. in the body portion. ofthe automobile within which channel waysfsaid vwindows .are adapted to travelhorizontally. a .plu-

rality of wedge couples by which said strip may be forced downward and connections including e handle for operating said Wedge couples to depress the strip and clamp the Windows between the channel Ways in any of their adjusted positions and outside and inside Walls depending from said top and forming therebetween an operating space for said strip, said Windows comprisingglazed sash and said sash are provided With rubber libroid tongues at the top and bottom respectively adapted to engage the channel Ways.

LOUIS J. CARL. 

